


The Beginning- A Time to be Brave

by MsGoodDay



Series: Medeival Universe [1]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Happy Ending, Fluff and Humor, Hurt/Comfort, I'll do my best!, M/M, Medeival themed, Niall-centric, Only my second fanfic, Possible smut later on, just warning ya, long fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-04
Updated: 2014-07-04
Packaged: 2018-02-07 10:00:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1894845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsGoodDay/pseuds/MsGoodDay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With a fearsome rebellion against the monarchs spread across the whole of Ireland, young Prince Niall James Horan finds himself with no choice but to leave everything he’s ever known behind and forced to start a new life in London, England, where he’ll be safe.<br/>He hopes.<br/>But just as he’s getting settled in London, he’s in for the biggest surprise of his life.<br/>Enter four magnificent monarchs who rule all of England and beyond, who suddenly find themselves unexpectedly attracted to a mysterious, cute, carefree blonde…otherwise known as a certain Niall James Ghrian.<br/>When asked to become their chamberlain, Niall’s in no position to decline, nor does he want to. The thought of them never leaves his mind.<br/>Everything seems to be going just fine for Niall and his possible four crushes…until trouble rears its ugly head in the form of the Kings’ four queens & future wives-to-be.<br/>Friendships will be made, loyalty will be tested, and secrets will be both kept and revealed…<br/>But the real question is, can Niall handle the stress of it all?<br/>And can his secret be kept?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Character Cast

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings, everyone! Thank you for dropping by to read my fic. Just a heads up, 1) This is only my second fanfiction, and 2) More importantly, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you read through the author's notes in the beginning, they will serve you well, as I seek to explain several things for each new chapter, such as this one. You don't have to read through the notes if you really don't want to, but again, for your own sake and for better understanding as you read through the story, I recommend that you do.
> 
> Right, so this chapter contains the cast list, that is, the main characters of the story and a brief description of each of their roles throughout the story. More details will be added as the story progresses, but here's what you need to know- Niall Horan is an Irish monarch that has been forced to flee from a raging war in Ireland; he's fled to the safety of London, England where he is taken in by the London Irish Crew (LIC) and eventually finds a job serving as chamberlain (personal assistant) to England's four kings, King Louis, King Zayn, King Liam, and King Harry. The four kings are supposed to be marrying to their four chosen queens (Kendall Jenner, Perrie Edwards, Eleanor Calder, and Sophia Smith) but tensions will arise as they are not really in love with their chosen queens...they love each other instead. You'll get to see more of the Kings and other characters in the chapters to follow, but here is the cast list for now. 
> 
> Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy! The prologue will be up shortly as well.

Medeival Universe Character Cast

King Louis Tomlinson\- Lord to the throne, ruler of Doncaster. Best friends (and lovers) with Kings Zayn, Liam, and Harry.

King Zayn Malik\- Lord to the throne, ruler of Bradford. Best friends (and lovers) with Kings Louis, Liam, and Harry.

King Liam Payne\- Lord to the throne, ruler of Wolverhampton. Best friends (and lovers) with Kings Louis, Zayn, and Harry.

King Harry Styles\- Lord to the throne, ruler of Cheshire. Best friends (and lovers) with Kings Louis, Zayn, and Liam.

Chamberlain Niall James Horan\- Personal assistant to their majesties, Kings Louis, Zayn, Liam, and Harry. Hand-chosen by the all of the kings, unanimously, to be their personal servant, tending to their every need. History… is unknown. Descent…unknown (by all except a select few), but suspected to be of Irish descent (his accent gives it away). Family members… fate unknown. Currently residing in outer limits of castle’s town, but practically lives and breathes in the castle itself.

High King Simon Cowell\- King and ruler over all the lands, gives his reign of the United Kingdom to Kings Louis, Zayn, Liam, and Harry.

Marshal Paul Higgins\- Head chief of security over their majesties’ safety and well-being, acts as an advisor to the throne when needed. Knight as well. Also known as the Captain of the Guard.

Captain Preston Mahon\- Second-hand guard to Marshal (Captain of the Guard) Paul, and knight to their majesties, is willing to be an advisor to the throne when need be.

Sire Dan Richards\- Valet de chambre, advisor to the throne

Sire Jon Shone\- Valet de chambre, and advisor to the throne

Sire Sandy Beales\- Valet de chambre, and advisor to the throne

Sire Josh Devine\- Valet de chambre, and advisor to the throne

Mistress Lou Teasdale\- Mistress (or Master) of the Wardrobe, Personal seamstress, garment-manager, and stylist to their majesties, and when need be, advisor to the throne. She has one child, her daughter Lux Atkin.

Queen Perrie Edwards\- Fiancée to King Zayn Malik, best friends are her duchesses Jade Thirwall, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, and Jessie Nelson.

Queen Eleanor Calder\- Fiancée to King Louis Tomlinson

Queen Kendell Jenner\- Fiancée to King Harry Styles

Queen Danielle Peazer\- Fiancée to King Liam Payne

Niall Breslin, aka “Bressie”\- Irish noble and Duke in London and longtime lifetime friend of Greg Horan (Niall Horan’s brother), watches over Niall (fulfilling promise made to Greg when they evacuated from Ireland). Serves as an older brother figure and good role model to Niall Horan.

Eoghan McDermott\- Irish noble and duke in London, longtime lifetime friend of fellow Irish noble and Duke Bressie, comes to grow really close to Niall and watches over him, alongside Bressie and the rest of the members of the LIC. Serves as an older brother figure and good role model to Niall Horan.

Willie Devine\- An older close cousin to Niall, who lives in London. Lives in the same town as Niall and checks in with the lad often, acts as an older brother figure and a good role model to Niall Horan, often goes on excursions and adventures with the lad.

London Irish Crew\- A group of wonderful Irish people, all citizens in London, they too in turn watch over Niall. Members include Eoghan, Laura Whitmore, and Niall “Bressie” Breslin, amongst others.


	2. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here we go! The first chapter, shall I say, of The Beginning-A Time to be Brave.
> 
> Things you need to know:  
> 1) I know that Niall grew up in Mullingar, Ireland, but I deliberately located the royal monarchs' castle in Dublin, simply because Dublin is the capital of Ireland, and also the location is closer to the Irish Sea than Mullingar is.  
> 2) Brendanré a’ Chuain is Irish for "Little Prince of Light of the Ocean." I thought it was a suiting name for the ship which would carry Niall across the seas to refuge in London.  
> 3) As a personal note, I hold nothing against Greg Horan...but I honestly don't know what his relationship with Niall is like, and to me it seems as though it is slightly strained...there are several points that lead me to this belief, but they can be discussed at a different time. I think that deep down inside, however, both Niall and Greg Horan really do love each other, which is what I am trying to convey in this chapter.   
> 4) Also, I must warn you, there are a few swear words in this chapter, for those of you who would like to be informed before you read...In general, I prefer not to use swear words, ever, but in this case I felt as though I needed to use them in order to emphasize the mood, and the feelings of a few of the characters.  
> 5) The expression "He's lamped!" is an Irish expression meaning that someone's been punched, or knocked out.  
> 6) "Eejit" is Irish slang for an idiot. To be "faffin' around" is also Irish slang for to be messing around.  
> 7) The Dipper and Willow Tit are both native bird species to Ireland.  
> 8) To "knock their ballex in" is Irish slang for "to give them a good beating," and to deliver a "slap in the kite" is Irish slang for "to deliver a hard punch or slap to the face." You will see both of these expressions used later on in the chapter.

Prologue:

 

Dublin, Ireland 1176 A.C.

3 a.m. in the morning, Irish time… at the royal castle of the Irish monarchs…

A storm is brewing in the sky above…

 

“Niall… Niall! NIALL! NIALL JAMES HORAN, you wake up this instant! You need to wake up right now!!!”

“Whaa… What?” Niall James Horan jolted with a start, eyelids cracking open lazily, his pupils dilated and blinking blearily.

“Niall, you’d better wake up and get out of yer bed right now! It’s urgent!” Greg Horan yelled, shaking his brother Niall by the shoulders roughly as he did so.

Niall was suddenly assaulted by a pair of hands tightly gripping his shoulders shaking him back and forth, leaving no time for him to go back to sleep.

Niall cleared his head, quickly gathering his wits and blinking away the last remnants of sleep as Greg shook him awake. When his full senses were finally alert and aware, he pushed Greg’s hands away from him and off his shoulders, before looking into his older brother’s concerned eyes and realizing the severity of the situation.

“What’s going on, Greg?” he asked anxiously.

“It’s happening, Niall,” Niall’s eyes widened in fear and instant understanding as Greg continued, “The rebellion has just begun.”

Niall’s mouth dropped once in a silent “o” as Greg confirmed his fears; the worst was happening, and there was no time to delay. Their lives were in danger.

“Shite!” Niall yelled as the gravity of the situation hit him.

With that new knowledge in mind, Niall promptly leapt out of bed, throwing his covers off to the side, and ran to his wardrobe, where he wrenched the heavy oak doors open and slammed them aside, searching for the proper attire to wear.

As he was doing so, and getting changed, Greg swept across the room, setting his lantern down on Niall’s bedside table and searching frantically for the bag they had prepared for this exact situation.

“It’s underneath me bed,” Niall’s muffled voice sounded as he spoke through his pajamas that he was getting changed out of.

Greg gave little acknowledgement save for a slight nod of his head as he reached underneath Niall’s bed and pulled out a small reed-colored rucksack. He laid it on the bed, then turned to Niall, who was half-dressed, saying,

“It looks to be raining soon tonight, a downright storm, actually,” Niall nodded his head. “So you might want to wear something warm, something waterproof.”

“Got it. Are ye ready to go? Are ye sure that everything is ready? Do ye think that we can actually escape from this castle without being caught?”

“Aye, I’m good to go if you are. We’ve been over this enough times already, Niall! I know for a fact that we will be able to escape from our castle without being caught. We still have a few people on our side, or did you not know?”

Niall crouched down and fastened the laces on his boots, shaking his head once and saying that no, he was not aware that they still had a few people in their own castle who were loyal to their cause.

“It seems as though most of our staff and personal guard are still loyal to us and eager to see that we not be killed,” Greg continued. “I spoke with the guards at the gate, and they’ve said that they’ll do everything they can to hold off the mob to buy us a little extra time to escape. They’ve already sounded the alarm, which means that we’ve got a little less than five minutes to finish in your bedroom here before we have to meet Bressie in the back entrance of the castle and escape with him through the underground tunnels.

“The cooks and the rest of the kitchen staff also told me that they’d try to make it as hard for the mob as possible to pass through the kitchen without scuffling about or avoiding obstacles… they’ve also managed to hide all the knives and have set about quite a few pots and pans in the most random of places… that mob of people is going to make a lot of noise when they enter the castle; it gives the remainder of those loyal to us plenty of warning that they’ve arrived.”

With that, Niall grimaced and finished tying the laces on his second boot, then stood up and faced Greg.

“I think that it’s time that we go then.”

“Right, here’s your bag. Let’s run. I think that it goes unsaid that time is of the essence?”

Niall scoffed and shot his brother a mock glare, his expression saying “Really?”

Greg saw Niall’s response and smirked wryly.

“Right then, let’s go.”

The two monarchs then proceeded to walk briskly out of Niall’s bed chamber, before breaking out into a light run as they reached the main castle hallway. The torches which usually illuminated the walls with the light from their flames had been conveniently put out, so as to make it harder for those chasing after the two monarchs to navigate their way throughout the halls. Niall and Greg had no trouble navigating their way through the halls to the back entrance of the castle, however, because Greg still carried the lantern which enabled them to see their way through the dark.

They had no sooner reached the back entrance when a cry of “Who goes?” could be heard, but Greg answered in calm,

“Bressie, it’s us, me and Niall. You can come out now. Are you ready to leave?”

From the shadows against the wall a figure emerged, and Bressie stepped into the lantern’s light. He held a hand to the sheathed sword on his side, until he recognized Greg and Niall and removed his hand from his sword’s grip.

“Aye, lads, it is good to see that you are both here. Come; let us leave while we still can, for there is no time to spare. The mob will be upon the castle soon, and we need to be out of their range by then. Are you ready then? Do you have everything you need?”

Niall and Greg both nodded.

“Good. Then let us be on our way.”

With that, the trio stealthily and silently made their way to the underground tunnels at a brisk pace, remaining in the shadows of the night. Throughout their journey they made no sound, no forms of communication between each other save for a few hand gestures here and there. They communicated without words. No words were necessary.

Then they reached the first of the underground tunnels.

The tunnel was dark, dank, and musty; they walked on a slightly damp dirt path that was cool to the touch and which absorbed their footsteps’ every sound. The only source of light came from the lantern that Bressie now held, and even that light was barely there. The tunnel was almost overwhelming to Niall, seemingly all-encompassing and consuming everything in its midst- including the light, which was absorbed into the walls.

Niall wanted nothing more but to get out of the tunnel as soon as he possibly could; though he would never admit it, being in the tunnel was scaring him more than the raging mob that wanted to see him and his brother dead.

Once they were finally well in the first of a series of underground tunnels, Bressie broke the silence as they continued walking briskly, saying,

“I think it is safe to talk now. I spoke with the leaders of the resistance last night, and they’ve managed to arrange for a boat which will provide safe passage across the seas to England for the two of us- that’s you and I, Niall, as per your brother’s request.”

Niall stopped dead in his tracks.

“Wait, what?!? What did you just say?” Niall yelled, looking demandingly between Greg and Bressie, waiting for an explanation. He came to a dead stop in his tracks. “I am not going any further until one of you explains exactly what is going on here.”

Greg sighed, pinching his nose with his hands, and said,

“Look, Niall, we do not have time for this! I will explain everything to you in full as we go along, alright?”

“No. I’m not going anywhere else until you tell me what exactly Bressie meant when he said that he and I- not including you- are going to England by ourselves?!? What the _hell_ is going on here, Greg?”

Bressie stopped and turned to look at Greg questioningly. He knew that this would happen. Hoping to alleviate Niall’s concerns and to prevent further conflict, Bressie stepped into the argument.

“Your brother has arranged for you and I to evacuate to England,” Bressie stated calmly, looking Niall directly in the eyes. “I happen to be acquainted with some old friends there, all of whom have assured me that they would be more than willing to house us as we wait for the rebellion in Ireland to boil over.

“Your brother is only doing what he thinks is best for you.”

_Though I may not exactly agree with his reasoning, or his plan overall._ Bressie thought.

There was a short beat of silence… then Niall interrupted it in another heated outburst.

“No, absolutely not; I don’t care about what plans you may have made Greg, and I don’t care about your friends in England who will give us shelter, Bressie. I don’t care if you think that this is what’s best for me Greg, but I am _not_ leaving without you! I will not leave without you! I refuse!” Niall yelled, and his eyes shone with a fiery determination and resolve that could not be put out, meeting Greg’s sharp gaze with a discerning expression that clearly read that he meant what he said.

Reeling around to face Niall in a sudden burst of anger, Greg exploded.

“Damn it, Niall! You’ve _always_ been stubborn, but you choose now to let it show?!? Of all times? We Don’t. Have. Time for this!! You are going on that ship with Bressie, and that’s final!”

“Give me one good reason why I should listen to you, Greg! Give me one good reason why I should leave my one and only brother, whom I love dearly, to suffer at the dangers of the rebellion! Give me one good reason why I should leave you behind!” Niall shouted back.

Greg deflated slightly, eyes shifting from Niall to the side and he exhaled deeply, sighing to the ground. He shut his eyes close, trying to block out the scene of the cave from his mind momentarily. His brave front was beginning to crumble; already, it had begun deteriorating rapidly and was still being chipped away piece by piece, as the intensity of the situation heightened. It didn’t help that Niall was stripping his brave front to the very core, where his true fears were to be found.

“You owe him at least that, Greg,” Bressie spoke softly, placing his hand upon Greg’s shoulder gently. “Niall deserves to know your reasoning behind this plan.”

Greg sighed in resignation.

“I suppose you’re right, then…”

Returning his gaze to Niall, he said,

“Niall… I know that this isn’t exactly what you wanted to hear, or the right time to hear it, but I want you to go with Bressie because I want you to be safe… I want you to stay alive and to be able to live a life as close to the one that you were living before all of this happened,” Greg paused to gesture at all of the cave when he mentioned ‘all of this’, then resumed his speech.

“It’s not because I don’t care about you or what you think, Niall… because I do.”

“Doesn’t seem like that at the moment,” Niall muttered bitterly underneath his breath, but Greg ignored his comment and continued to speak. _When has it ever?_ He thought.

“Oi, really, Niall! I’m serious! Look- I know that we’ve never really been the best of friends, and that I haven’t exactly been the best role model big brother,” Niall scoffed. “But I’m trying, here! I’m making an effort to do what’s best for me and for you, and for our country! I’m not doing this because I want to; I’m doing this because it needs to be done! You know better than I what will happen to this country if neither one of us stay here! Ireland will be run down to shambles! And you know that; don’t you dare pretend that it isn’t true!

“I’m sending you to England because I want you to be safe, until this all passes over… and I’m the oldest here, so this is my responsibility… mam and dad aren’t here to say otherwise; even if they were, there isn’t much that they could do… The people will never accept them as king or queen of Ireland again, but they might accept you and I- once I can convince them to do so.

“And despite what anyone else may say, Niall, you are too young to have to make these types of decisions where the fate of the country rests in your hands… A warring country is no place for a 16-year old!” Greg finished dramatically, dropping his hands at his sides.

“Oh, and that automatically makes it alright for you to make the decisions around here? You’re only three years older than me, Greg! So you’re the firstborn! Big difference! You shouldn’t have to make those types of decisions either! You’re no safer than I am!” Niall snapped.

“If this is your plan for me, then I’d rather you deliver me to the hands of the angry mob! Any fate other than being separated from you would be better than what you’re about to send me into! I’ve already lost me best friends, Greg… I’ve already lost mam and dad, and I am not about to lose my older brother as well!”

Niall choked on his words, choking back a sob and blinking away the tears that threatened to stream down his face… then, in a quieter voice, so soft that Greg barely missed it, he said,

“You’re the only family I have left, Greg… and I…despite our differences, I don’t want to lose you; I _cannot_ lose you too…”

So then the truth was finally out. With that admittance, and with his deepest fear revealed, Niall lost his initial anger and the will to fight… he simply did not want to live life without his brother Greg and leave him behind to face the rebellion in Mullingar… (and all of Ireland, for that matter).

Greg sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“I know Niall, I know. You’re the only family that I have left as well… but you’re making this much harder than it needs to be!”

Looking up at his older brother with red, tear-stained eyes, Niall choked out,

“You don’t get it, Greg! You just don’t get it! I don’t want to lose you! I know we’ve had our spats and haven’t gotten along most of the time, but still- you’re my brother, and I love you! There is no way in hell that I’d leave you alone here, Greg! Let me put it this way- if you send me alone to England with Bressie, I will **_never_** forgive myself! And I will never forgive you for making me leave you here!”

Niall had balled his hands up in tight fists as he was speaking, and said fists were beginning to shake in anger and stress as his words became more and more heated. He spoke with a fiery passion from his heart; he was adamant in everything that he said.

Greg was left speechless after Niall’s powerful outburst, his mouth left hanging open and totally surprised. He’d expected Niall to give him some grief about leaving for England; however, he’d never thought that his younger brother would feel so passionately about him or his plan this way.

Regardless of how Niall felt, it didn’t make Greg’s next task any easier.

“Look Niall, I know that you’d never forgive yourself if you allowed me to stay here while you went off to England, but you have to know that I’d never forgive myself if I allowed you to stay here with me! Nothing about this entire situation is easy, but you’re not exactly making things any easier. Damn your stubborn will! I didn’t want to do this, but you leave me no choice- you’ll have to forgive yourself eventually. This is for your own good.”

With that, Greg twisted violently around and lunged forward at Niall, throwing a powerful, strong right-hand punch to Niall’s temple. He caught Niall completely off guard.

Bressie flinched when he saw Greg punch Niall in the head as hard as he could and visibly winced even more so as he watched Niall stumble back and slump to the ground, barely conscious for all of five seconds before he lost consciousness altogether.

Niall jerked backwards with the blow, and stumbled, before his back made contact with the tunnel’s dirt wall, his head reeling as he slumped down it, blinking dazedly as he tried (and failed) to regain his bearings, but it was no use.

The last thing he saw was Greg standing off to a distance in front of him, clutching his right hand against his chest, and mouthing the words “ _Sorry, Niall._ ”

Then everything became black, and he knew no more.

Bressie was at a loss for words; he didn’t know what to make of the events which had just transpired in front of his own very eyes.

He’d known that Niall would put up a fight against Greg’s plan and defy it to the very ends of the earth, (or to the end of Niall’s own life for that matter), and he’d expected Greg to somehow be able to get Niall to leave with himself for England… but he hadn’t expected Greg to get physical with Niall and hit the younger prince, his own brother, upside his head and knock the lad out cold! He hadn’t expected Greg to use brute force!

His shock must have been written all over his face, for the next minute he knew that Greg was looking away from him, averting his gaze from meeting Bressie’s eyes.

Instead of regarding Bressie’s stunned look, Greg turned his gaze to the crumpled form of his nonresponsive little brother lying slumped against the ground…

Walking over to Niall, Greg knelt down and pressed two fingers against Niall’s throat, feeling for a pulse. Satisfied that his little brother was still alive and breathing, Greg relaxed a little bit before an angered Bressie yelled,

“What the bleedin’ hell was that for, Greg?!?”

Greg ignored Bressie’s unanswered infuriated question as he slid his arms under Niall and lifted him up from off the ground, bridal style. Niall was extremely light for his age so it was of no hardship for Greg to carry his little brother in his arms for the remainder of their escapade, until they had reached the harbor where Bressie’s ship awaited them.

Bressie continued to rant.

“Answer me, Greg, dammnit, or so help me I will leave you to surrender right here an’ now to the ragin’ mob!”

Greg snapped.

“You know exactly what that was for, Bressie! Don’t question me now! I did it for his own good as much as I did it for mine! Ye know how stubborn he is! Stubborn as a bull, when he wants to be! Niall wouldn’t’ve gone any further with us if I’d tried to explain meself further!

“He left me no choice but to knock him out! Besides, this’ll make for easier travelling down the tunnels with you as guide. By the time he wakes up, I’ll be long gone, and the two of you will be on your merry way to England. There’ll be nothing he can do about it, and that’s final.”

Bressie hmphed in response. Honestly, he still couldn’t believe that Greg had just laid a hand on his innocent younger brother, and all he really wanted to do was give Greg a proper good dose of his own medicine at that particular moment in time, but he knew that he couldn’t afford to.

Now now, anyways.

But if he was being honest with himself, Bressie had to agree with Greg that Niall was definitely stubborn, and that as much as he didn’t want to admit it, knocking Niall out had probably been for the better, and would make things easier in the long run.

That didn’t mean that he had to like what had been done, though. But that was something that he could reflect on later; what had happened had happened, and there was nothing he could do about it now.

He’d have to yell his head off at Greg for hurting Niall some other time, mayhaps when the rebellion was over and he and Niall could finally return safely to Ireland.

By that time, Bressie was sure that Niall would have grown some more and be more capable to hold out on his own and pack his own fair punch to kindly dole out to Greg in turn. If not, then, well, Bressie would teach him how…by making an example out of Greg.

All this depended, though, on if they made it to England safely and found refuge with Bressie’s London Irish Crew… And they could only do that if they managed to leave Ireland safely, and time was running short at the moment.

Greg’s voice suddenly interfered with Bressie’s thoughts and reminded him of the situation at hand.

“Well? Are ye just goin’ ta stand there like an eejit or are you actually goin’ ta help me out here and stop faffin’ around?” Greg grunted.

“Aye, I hear you Greg, I’m coming,” Bressie responded.

_I may not necessarily be your biggest fan by all means at the moment, but that doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t follow you unto death,_ Bressie thought.

Greg nodded, then motioned for Bressie to pick up the lantern and take the lead.

They still had a half hours’ worth of traveling through the tunnels left to do until they reached the harbor, and thus in turn the ship which would be transporting Niall and Bressie to England.

Once in London, they would be safe. As for Greg… Bressie wasn’t so sure how Greg would fare, and he was more than slightly hesitant to leave his best friend behind in the turmoil and dangers of the rebellion in Ireland, but Greg was by no means stupid, and Bressie had every confidence that he would be able to manage himself somehow. Hopefully.

~*~

At last, they reached the end of the tunnel. Its mouth was open wide, revealing a deserted beach just outside its rocky borders. The night was calm and the moon still at its peak, glowing brightly, though it was beginning to wane. Off in the way distance a handful of stars yet twinkled and shone brightly, in contrast to the dark sky. The morning star had yet to rise.

A single, lone ship could be seen in the near distance, waiting patiently in the harbor and rocking back and forth on the Irish Sea’s restless waves.

A waft of sea breeze brushed past Greg and Bressie’s bodies, and Bressie shivered at its touch.

The smell of salt was strong in the air, and Bressie knew that within a short time he would quickly become accustomed to the odor, seeing as he would be traveling across brackish waters of the Irish Sea, Atlantic Ocean, and the English Channel for a few weeks or so.

Greg stopped for a moment to catch his breath, gently setting Niall on the ground before he stretched and massaged his tired arms, giving his back and sore muscles a quick break.

Bressie waited patiently to the side, but when Greg stopped stretching and leaned down to pick Niall back up again, he spoke up, saying,

“Greg, I can take over if you want. Here, you take our packs, and let me carry Niall for a while,” he offered.

“Nah, that’s alright, Bressie. I can carry him the rest of the way; we’ve practically reached the ship now. Besides, you’re going ‘ta have him in your hands for a while anyways!” Greg joked half-heartedly.

Bressie smiled wanly, choosing to remain silent and saying nothing in response. He exhaled a sigh, but whether Greg heard it or not, he made no mention of it.

“Well? Are ye ready to continue then?” Greg asked.

“Aye, let’s go.”

Walking together, they took several wary steps onto the beach’s cooled sand, emerging from cliffside cave and leaving the tunnel system behind for good.

They were almost there. There was not much further distance left to walk before they reached the London-bound ship, destined to take Niall and Bressie to a new life of new beginnings and adventures in England.

Bressie and Greg walked the remainder of the beachside path to the harbor’s wooden docks in silence, until they had reached the designated ship and were standing just a few feet in front of her.

_Brendanré (Little Prince of Light) a’ Chuain (of the Ocean)_

The words _Brendanré  a’ Chuain_ were painted in a rich magnificent gold and outlined in a deep shade of royal green on both sides of the ship’s bow and the back on its stern, complimenting the gorgeous oak planks of which the ship was built.

“Halt!” a deep voice bellowed from above, and a lantern was cast over the side of the ship, pouring its light onto Greg, Bressie and Niall like a cascading waterfall.

“Who goes here?”

Bressie blinked, waiting for his eyes to become accustomed to the sudden light, then looked up towards the figure holding the lantern and raised his own in a series of motions, yelling,

“Oi! Eoghan! It’s Bressie! Niall Breslin here! Here and with their Lordships Prince Gregory and Niall Horan. Now if you would please be so kind as to let us board this ship?!?,”

“Not without giving the secret code first, mate!” The man, Eoghan, yelled back.

Bressie sighed, then groaned. Of course Eoghan would make him recite the most embarrassing secret code in front of his best friend, and Ireland’s monarch himself.

“Oh come on now!” Bressie yelled.

“Nay! I’m forbidding you to come on board until you recite the secret code,” Eoghan laughed.

Seeing as he was getting nowhere fast, and that Eoghan really wouldn’t let him and Niall board the ship until he’d recited the code, and that they were losing time fast, Bressie gave in and recited the stupid code.

“Fine! A dapper Dipper smiles when he sees a Willow Tit,”

The secret code consisted of codenames that the members of the Irish London Crew had given to each other, all based off of the fauna back home in Ireland, and Bressie had been so kindly dubbed the “Dapper Dipper” by all his mates. It stuck. And Eoghan, as you could guess, had been named after the “Willow Tit,” simply because he liked the innuendo behind the name and because his mates thought the name suited him well…well, everyone thought so except for Bressie, that was.

_He should be named Willow Twit, not Tit,_ Bressie thought.

“That’s not allll,” Eoghan chimed in a sing-song voice.

Bressie grumbled beneath his breath. When he was finally on board he swore that he was going to kill the man!

“Now’s not the time for playing games, Eoghan! We’ve got no time for faffin’ around! There be  a ragin’ mob hot on our tails not too far behind us, so it’d be best if we departed as soon as possible! If you get my drift? ” Greg yelled back, sensing Bressie’s frustration and rapidly becoming aware of that of his own.

“Fine, fine, I get the drift, Greg. I’ll lower the gangplank now.”

And with that, Eoghan complied, and he and several members of the crew lowered the gangplank to the dock below, where Bressie stood patiently with Greg, who had just lowered Niall gently to the wooden dock boards of the ground below.

Bressie turned to Greg and said,

“I guess this is it, then?”

“Aye…I reckon it’s going to be a while before either of us sees each other again, so let’s say our goodbyes now while we still have the time.”

And they would have exchanged them right there and then; had Eoghan not interrupted their conversation before either of them had a chance to say anything else.

Neither of them had noticed, but Eoghan had made his way down the gangplank, sashaying as he did so with an exaggerated gait in its own league. Before they knew it, he was standing less than three feet away from where they stood.

“Oi! You lot said it yourselves, we don’t have much time to spend faffin’ around so why don’t the two of you bid each other farewell already and… _What the bleedin’ hell happened to the kid?!?_ ” Eoghan shouted suddenly, taken by surprise and startled by the appearance of Niall.

If the fact that Greg was carrying a limp and unconscious Niall bridal-style wasn’t enough of a jolt already, then the bruise which had already started to turn lovely shades of purple and blue on Niall’s left temple was.

Eoghan’s merry expression suddenly transformed into a fearsome frown.

“He’s lamped! Ye lads didn’t run into any trouble along the way, didja? Who gave him this?” he demanded, gesturing at the bruise on Niall’s face.

“I swear if I run into whoever it was, ah’ll knock their ballax in,” he threatened.

Though Eoghan had never met Niall in person before, he’d heard tales about the lad shared with him from his best mate Bressie, and through what he’d heard, he’d grown to like the lad a lot. So when the time came that he’d be able to meet Niall in person, and he found that Niall had been punched and knocked out cold by a stronger force against his own will, well…Eoghan kind of, maybe, sort of lost it.

Greg tried to speak up, in an attempt to reassure Eoghan that they didn’t run into any trouble per say, and in an attempt to defend his actions, but Bressie spoke up before he could.

“Greg did it,” was all Bressie said, and with that, Eoghan’s eyes widened and then narrowed, then he spun round and punched Greg up and in the jaw before anyone had time to react.

Greg reeled back several steps from the impact, clenching a hand to his jaw and trying to recover from the sudden pain. Bressie made no move to help him as he stumbled about.

 “Sorry, I take that back, I’m definitely not sorry, you arse,” Eoghan scoffed, rubbing his knuckles gently before dropping both arms defensively back at his sides.

“Thank you for that right and proper reaction, Eoghan.’Twas nearly the same as mine own, but you actually gave him the slap in the kite that I haven’t been able to deliver, yet, though I’ve been pining to give Greg a taste of his own medicine all night…no offense, Greg, but you really had that coming to ya,” Bressie said, halfway bemused yet dead serious at the same time.

Eoghan shrugged. He was still royally pissed at Greg.

“He deserved it, the feckin’ moron.”

By now Greg had rejoined the circle that they had going, ignoring the dagger-filled looks that he was receiving from both men, now that they were mostly out of harm’s way.

“Shite, that smart,” Greg cursed, rubbing his sore jaw with one hand and trying to regain his balance. He turned to look first at Bressie then at Eoghan as he said, “I guess I had that coming to me, didn’t I? You’ve got a real mean uppercut punch there, Eoghan.”

Eoghan humphed, ignoring Greg’s compliment about the strength of his punch, and went on to yell at Greg instead.

Greg was still rubbing his sore jaw while Eoghan continued to chew him out. Bressie watched on bemusedly. Eoghan’s chest puffed up as the irritated Irishman turned to face Greg and continued to rant and rave.

 “But seriously! Who the hell beats up a defenseless unsuspecting kid who’s more ‘n three years younger than they are?!? And what kind of a big brother beats up ‘is younger brother? Oh, that’s right. I remember now! You would, of course! You are such an arse Greg! Why the hell would you do such a thing?!?”

“I’m not getting out of this one, am I?” Greg questioned.

“The hell you’re not! Now you will tell me what exactly in the flippin’ blazes was running through your mind when you laid a hand upon Niall, hmm? What’s gotten into you, Greg?!?”

“It was for his own good!”

Eoghan hmphed, and Bressie scoffed.

“For Niall’s own good, you say? Or for yours? I fail to see how this,” Eoghan paused and pointed at Niall’s limp form, the bruise on his temple in particular, “could be for ‘his own good’. So enlighten me.”

Before Greg had a chance to respond, a crew member called out,

“Ye lads need to hurry things up. There’s been a few lights spotted on the horizon…an’ I don’t think they’re the friendly type.”

“Shite…How did they find us so fast?” Bressie pondered. Then, as if the thought just hit him, Bressie turned to Greg and said,

“Oi, Greg! You’ve got to get outta’ here! We’ll be fine, we’ll be leaving shortly, but if thon crowd finds you, they won’t be afraid to kill you, mate!”

“I know, but-”

Greg was cut off by Eoghan interrupting him, saying,

“Aye, lad…You’d best get going, before it’s too late. Much as I may not necessarily like you at the moment, I for one don’t want to see you be killed.” Eoghan agreed.

“Fine then,” Greg sighed in resignation.

With that said, Eoghan leant down and picked up a prone Niall in his arms. He was about to turn away from Greg and let him and Bressie bid their final farewells when a sudden thought came into his mind.

Turning around and facing Greg for a final time, Eoghan spoke up warningly and anxiously,

“Oh, and Greg? Do me a favor, while we’re gone? Grow up, wont’cha?! You need to stop beating up on your brother so much…You could learn a lesson from Niall or two… That, and don’t do anything stupid, er, let me rectify that; don’t do anything stupider than usual…and stay safe, alright? Ireland still needs its royal monarchy, and when all this boils over you’d better be in one piece.”

Greg nodded, “I’ll do my best, ‘Ghannie.”

Eoghan nodded in once in consent, muttering “Good,” before he hoisted Niall into a more comfortable position in his arms and turned away, walking up the gangplank.

With Eoghan gone for the moment, Bressie and Greg were standing left alone on the dock, though soon it would be Bressie boarding the ship after Eoghan and Niall, and Greg would be the one who was left entirely alone.

“So I guess that this is it, then?” Greg spoke, trying to make light of the situation, but neither he nor Bressie could find the strength to laugh.

They stood there awkwardly for a moment, waiting for the other to say something, anything, to break the somber silence, to give them hope, but neither of them could find the words to say.

Finally, seeing that neither of them had spoken a word, and seeming as though Greg wasn’t about to do so any time soon, Bressie sighed deeply, then whispered “This is it, then,” patting Greg on the shoulder, and turned to walk away.

That seemed to snap Greg out of his stupor. Seeing that his best friend was walking away, and that he hadn’t yet said goodbye, Greg ran after Bressie and yelled, urgentlym

“Bressie, wait!”

Bressie turned around in surprise, then waited until Greg had caught up with him and latched a hand onto his shoulder in a strong grip.”

“Just-just wait a second, Bressie,” Greg panted.

Bressie looked at Greg expectantly, and that was when Greg let all the words come out that needed to be said, all of a sudden.

“Promise me that you will take good care of him, Bressie.” Greg tightened his grip on Bressie’s shoulders as he spoke and stared into his friend’s face anxiously, his brave front finally disintegrated and his true age and worry showing through.

“Promise me that you will watch over my little brother. Protect him, and keep him safe. Make sure that he is still happy, wherever he goes… and that he never loses sight of who he is, of what his true heritage is… Make sure that he will always know that he is still a Prince of Mullingar, that he is a Horan, Niall James Horan, my little brother, and rightful heir to the throne of Ireland. Promise me, that you will do everything in your power to see this through?”

Bressie softened his expression as Greg’s façade melted before him again, for the second time that evening, the older prince’s worry and desperation speaking louder than his words.

When it came time for Bressie’s turn to reply, he hardened his expression into one of fierce determination as he answered, placing his hands on Greg’s shoulders and returning his strong grip.

“I promise you, Prince Gregory Horan, that I will do everything in my power to watch over your little brother and keep him safe. I will protect him unto the very ends of the earth itself.

“I will lay my life on the line for both of your lordships; you should know that by now. And I will see this through, until the end. And I will make sure that he remains true to himself, that he knows what his true heritage is- that he will never forget that he is a true prince of Mullingar, a rightful heir to the throne. You have my word, Greg. You have my word. I will watch over your little brother and keep him safe.”

Bressie’s voice and expression never wavered, and as soon as he had finished speaking, Greg visibly relaxed, exhaling a shaky breath as clenched his jaw and dropped his gaze to the ground.

There were a few seconds of soft, tender silence as the ocean wind blew, before Greg spoke up again, returning his gaze to the man in front of him.

“Thank you, Bressie, and I know Bressie, I know. You have always been good to me; you have always been there for me when I needed you most… and now I ask that you do the same for my brother. I know that you will keep him safe; I know that you will see this to the end… as will I. I will rejoice upon the day that this rebellion is finally over! And on that day, whence all is right again and peace is restored to our fair country, I shall seek you and my brother, and I shall find you out, wherever you may be. But until then, until that day, I pray that you both may be kept safe from harm, and that the Gods up above look down upon your lives with good fortune…”

Greg leaned into Bressie’s chest and gave him a firm, crushing hug… one that could choke an ordinary man if they were not used to it, but by now Bressie was well accustomed to Greg’s hugs, and he returned the embrace equally strong as well.

“I don’t want to say farewell, Bressie.”

Bressie was quick to speak up once more. He shook Greg gently but firmly by the shoulders once or twice as he spoke.

 “Aye, neither do I Greg, but fear not! Though this may be goodbye for now, surely it is not our last. I have every confidence that you shall persevere and see this endeavor through ‘til the end, and emerge the victor.

“Think of your country! Think of Ireland! Your country has faith in you; your country is _depending_ on you to see this through.”

Bressie paused briefly to catch his breath, then resumed his speech. His voice never wavered as he spoke boldly and passionately, and his eye contact with Greg remained firm and steady.

“You can do this, Greg. I know you will, and I know that you will succeed. Fight this war for me; fight for your wife and fight for your future; fight for your mam and your da; fight for your country; fight for your rightful place in the throne; and fight this for your brother… fight it for Niall! Hold onto your hope for Niall, as he is doing for you…

“Fight it to win it! Take heart, and be courageous! You will see this through! And you will emerge _victorious_! I know you can, and I know that you will.

“Though the trouble may be starting today, the end is soon in sight, and there will be a day when all is resolved and you shall be the rightful king of Ireland once more…

“But until that day comes… take care and live well, my dear brother and my friend, and rest reassured that I shall watch over your brother. I will take care of Niall and keep him well, just as you have done before me, for all these past years.

“Now, be safe, and fare thee well, Greg, my brother, my friend, and my liege…”

Greg was practically choked up; Bressie’s speech had moved him immensely and given him the boost of strength that he knew he would need in the troublesome times to come.

“Thank you, Bressie… I will miss you terribly so! But I know that you are right, and that all will work out in the end… now you have something to fight for… my country needs me. Ireland needs its rightful king to the throne! And I shall not let you down… I will now let my country down! I will not let Niall down either… I will fight this fight until it is over, and I shall emerge victorious once and for all throughout this rebellion. Though the fight has just begun, I too can see the end in sight… and all will be well again once more.

“This goodbye for now, Bressie… Fare thee well! Until we meet again.”

“Until we meet again, Greg! Until we meet again.”

And with that, Greg watched forlornly as Bressie turned and ran off at a swift pace down the remainder of the dock and boarded the ship which would take them away from the turmoil of Ireland and into the safety of England, a country that was so close and yet seemingly so far away…

He stood there, watching, until the _Brendanré a’ Chuain_ disappeared into the mists and fog of the Irish sea… and then there was nothing left to see, except for the cold, gray, dreary waters as they crashed into the sands of the Irish shore…

Just above the horizon, the morning star began to shine.

“ _Please be safe, Niall. I love you. I earnestly hope that one day, I shall see you again…_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's all for now; thank you for reading. I will post another update when I get a chance, but I just finished writing the prologue here, so it might take a while...I'll try not to take too long.


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